Mosque donates riot funds to 'help others'

Thousands of pounds raised for a mosque in the aftermath of recent rioting has been donated to several charities.

Police faced a barrage of missiles as they diverted crowds away from the Nasir Mosque in Hartlepool, County Durham, in July.

A fundraiser was launched to "show appreciation" for the place of worship, with its initial £200 target surpassed within minutes.

In all, £16,000 was raised and now groups, including food banks, a domestic violence charity and a hospice, have received donations in what mosque leaders described as "a powerful rebuttal of hate".

The online appeal had been launched by Andrew Cooper, who praised mosque volunteers for distributing almost 30,000 meals across the community in recent years.

The donations were presented at an event at the mosque on Saturday.

Imam Tahir Selby said it had been "heart-warming to witness the community's love and support" in the days after the violence, which happened in the wake of a fatal knife attack on youngsters at a Merseyside dance class.

He added: "For years, we've worked to foster understanding and this response reaffirms our efforts.

"Islam teaches us to help others so the entire amount has been donated to worthy causes in Hartlepool."

Among the groups to benefit was the Salaam Community Centre, which received £5,000, while Alice House Hospice and Belle Vue Community Centre shared £3,000.

A number of other organisations were each given £1,000, including St Aidan's Kitchen, Epilepsy Outlook and Harbour Support which helps abused women.

Donations for the same amount were made to the police benevolent fund and Hartlepool's ambulance service to be used for a defibrillator kit.

Ahead of the disturbance on 31 July, Mr Selby said officers had warned the mosque that a group of protesters might try to approach the building.

He said he was later urged by colleagues to "lock the gate" and discovered police had blocked both sides of the building to prevent people getting closer.

The crowd was diverted and instead headed to Murray Street.

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